Love Is A Mystery
by sweetopia
Summary: If it was chance that pushed us to these things then chance was a very fine thing. Had it not been for the pure chance that I had to stop to tie my shoelace then I would not have crossed paths with the incredible Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura Haruno's life is changed forever when she meets the mysterious and enigmatic Sasuke Uchiha. Modern detective AU
1. Chapter 1

**Love is a Mystery**

Preface

It was cold outside, mid-October, as I was walking home from school. The city of Konoha was lit up and bustling. Faces passed by without a second glance as I wandered my way home. I never felt more alive than when I was in the city at night, it was so vibrant and full of people; people who had their own lives and jobs and houses and friends and places to be. It wasn't often that I would stop to think about that. How it was strange that everyone had their own thing to be going along with, things that would lead them on completely different paths to the ones I was going to take, but when I did it made me feel so small.

If it was chance that pushed us to these things then chance was a very fine thing. Had it not been for the pure chance that I had left school late on that specific evening, or that I was walking slower than normal, or that I had to stop to tie my shoelace then I would not have crossed paths with the incredible Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

1\. What Opportunity Brings

It was cold outside and I was walking home from school. All around me people were hurrying to get home from work or school. Shivering, I wished I had thought to bring a thicker coat. My private school uniform provided very little in the way of protection and the uniform jacket was thin. I sighed, watching the breath steam out in front of me, as I dodged my way through the busy streets.

On a particularly busy section of the street, right outside the Central Konoha City Hospital, someone caught my shoulder with their elbow sending me sprawling on to the pavement. By the time I had looked up the person was gone, probably not even aware they knocked me down. Blood was running quickly down my leg staining my white tights, I had split the skin of my knee. Shakily, I stood up and dusted myself off. I continued on my journey home as if nothing had happened, trying to ignore the throbbing of my grazed knee. I was already five minutes late, I couldn't afford to walk any slower.

Resigning myself to not making it back home for dinner that night I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my mom. My stomach growled in protest and I tried to walk faster, but only succeeded in tripping over my own shoelace. I ducked down a quiet side street muttering curses under my breath, knelt down and re-tied it. In the quiet, I took some time to look in my bag for a plaster. I was this decision that changed the course of my life forever – little did I know.

Standing up once more, I was about to head back onto the main street when a noise behind me stopped me in my tracks. There was a yell at first as if someone had been caught by surprise, and then I could clearly hear people fighting; but upon turning around I saw no one down the small side street I was in. Well, not until someone jumped off of the roof of the building to my right. I stepped back against the wall as two more men also jumped from the roof, pouncing on the other man with deadly intent. A sudden rush of adrenaline burst through me and a stepped out of the shadows, feeling brave.

"Hey!" I yelled, loud enough to attract attention from people on the street. The men paused and after seeing the people peering into the side street, bolted. Only one of them remained, slumped against the alley wall.

"Hey," I said in a gentler voice. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Hn," he grunted as I approached him.

"Do you need to go to the hospital...?" I asked seeing his bloody lip and the way he was holding the top of his arm as if to put pressure on an open wound. I reached out to touch him, but he flinched away.

"Go. Away." He said scathingly, glaring at me with coal black eyes.

His tone startles me and I took a few paces back, enough to put me on the opposite side of the narrow street. "Well do you want me to call the police or-"

"I am the police," he muttered, "...sort of."

"Sort of?" I said with suspicion. He certainly didn't look like the police to me. He was tall, with black hair that was long at the front but pointed up at the back - a very unprofessional look for a police officer - black eyes, pale skin, he was wearing a long dark coat, over dark clothing and on his back, was a sheathed katana. He looked more like a criminal to me.

I sighed and persisted, reaching towards his injured arm again. The man glared at me but didn't move. I furrowed my eyebrows, embedded into his arm was a short, broken needle. I gasped and withdrew my hand quickly.

"They tried to drug me," the man grunted in explanation.

"Oh," I replied stupidly, unsure what to say. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital? Or at least call _someone."_

"Hn."

I threw my hands up in disbelief, exasperated at his uncooperative attitude, but I couldn't just leave him. I pulled out my phone and started to dial 911.

"Don't!" the man hissed grabbing me by the shoulder. I frowned at him, but ended the call none the less. "Don't, I'll be fine."

"You need to get that taken out," I retorted snappily. "It'll get infected, and you'll die-"

"Oh please," he said, pushing himself off of the wall and trying to make his way towards the main street. I closed my eyes for a moment in frustration. My mind struggled with what to do. Deciding that it was probably better if kept an eye on him I walked just a few steps behind. It was clear that whatever drug those two thugs had used on him was starting to take hold. He was dragging his feet with every step, body swaying, he was probably feeling tired, I could see the beads of sweat on his forehead reflecting the light, but his stoic face gave nothing away.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked him, realising that I hadn't asked before. He turned to look at me over his shoulder before collapsing back against the wall.

"Oh, for fuck sake," I mumbled under my breath. I jogged the few steps towards him in concern. He blinked as if trying to keep his eyes in focus. "What is your name?" I repeated loudly. The sound of my voice seemed to bring him back to focus.

"Your father, he's a doctor...take me to him," the man said completely ignoring my question. A chill ran down my spine. How did he know that?

"Fine, but what's your name?" I replied, trying to keep my cool. There would be time for questions later, now I needed to help him.

"Hn, not important," he groaned trying to take another few steps, his legs wobbling.

"Oh, for _fuck_ sake," I muttered again.

Ducking under his uninjured arm I half dragged half walked the strange man out of the alley. We made slow progress back up the street toward the hospital where my dad worked. By that point he looked as though his was struggling to stay conscious.

"Hey, come one I can't get you there if you pass out on me," I told him, trying to make him regain focus again, but he was too far gone.

I had to haul him up the main stairs and into the lobby of the hospital. I cast about for a wheelchair, but none were available. For a moment I contemplated leaving him by the front desk, but one look at his weak body changed my mind. Determined, I pulled him to the elevator and propped him against the wall as I pushed the buttons.

As we moved upwards to the floor of my father's ward, I prayed that he wasn't with a patient because I did not bring a drugged, injured, potential criminal off of the street to have to go and wait in ER with him for hours.

The elevator door opened just as the man's legs buckled. I cried out in alarm attracting the attention of the nurse at the desk. Hearing my yell, my father rushed out of his office to see what the commotion was. He stopped dead for a second before taking my place and hauling the dark-haired man out of the elevator and into his private office. I loitered outside of the door for almost an hour before plucking up the courage to knock.

"Come in," my father called out. I poked my head shyly around the door. "Ah Sakura, come in."

I was silent as I entered the room, watching as my father spoke to his patient.

"I'll call your brother to pick you up," He sighed as he took in the sight of the man who was sat on the bed, leaning against the wall.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the man spoke first.

"I'm fine, I don't need him," he grumbled as my dad bundled together an array of dressings.

"Sasuke, I either call your brother or you stay here all night, which one would you prefer?" My father said as though he was scolding a misbehaving child.

"Hn."

"That's what I thought," dad said before starting to dress the wound on Sasuke's arm. "You're lucky my daughter found you."

I paused for a second and then, "S-Sasuke asked me to bring him to you...he said he knew that you were my dad…"

"Ah yes, Sasuke's little trick," my dad chuckled despite himself. "He probably knows everything about you. He knows everything about everyone with just one look."

I snorted, sure, that was _totally_ believable. I glanced at Sasuke, his well-toned torso stood out even against the pale magnolia of the office walls, it was marked here and there by scars and one singular tattoo where his neck and shoulder joined. To my embarrassment he caught me staring and gave me a sly smirk. I blushed and looked away again.

After Sasuke's arm was cleaned and bandaged my dad left the room to call Sasuke's brother. We were alone again. I sighed and leaned against the wall, trying to ignore Sasuke's hazy eyes watching my every move.

"You're looking a lot better," I commented.

"Some water would be great right now," he replied, ignoring what I had just said.

Keeping my composure, I shook my head and left the room to go and get him some water without a word. I made sure to fill two plastic cups full because no doubt he would ask me to go back again if I only returned with one. Opening the door with my elbow I backed into the room only to discover the window wide open and Sasuke missing. The only thing that remained behind was his coat.

"Oh shit!" I yelled, both cups of water falling to the floor as I sprinted to the window, fully expecting to see Sasuke's mangled body on the pavement below. Outside the street was busy and Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

* * *

 **So guys who have read my works before; I know I have written and re-written this story a billion times, but this time I swear I am dedicated to re-doing all my old stories and even making some new ones.**

 **To new readers; Welcome! I hope you enjoy my writing. Drop me a review to let me know what you think.**

 **Old and new reader's support and feedback is really appreciated as I am writing this stuff for you guys to enjoy!**

 **R &R - Sweetopia**


	2. Chapter 2

Love is a Mystery

2.

"Sakura don't worry," my dad tried to reassure me as I sat in his office, holding Sasuke's coat in my hands.

"Dad we're on the fourth floor," I said in disbelief. "And he jumped out of the window!"

I was trembling. It had been a long night and I was tired. Dad just shrugged before he returned to filing his paperwork. I sighed and stood up. There was no point in me staying; my dad would be working through the night.

"I'm gonna head home," I kissed my dad on the cheek and headed out of the hospital.

Well, I thought to myself as I stepped out into the chilly air, at least I have a coat to keep me warm. Slipping my arms into the oversized sleeves I pulled the fabric around me. I loitered on the pavement for a few moments, looking up at the window Sasuke had jumped out of and wondering if it was really possible.

Pushing the mysterious Sasuke out of my mind for a moment I continued on my way home. It was truly night now, the city lights cast a neon glow over the streets. I pulled the coat tighter against the cold, blushing as I noticed that it smelled good. I shook my head, puzzled by my reaction.

When I finally made it home my mom was waiting impatiently in the lounge. She pounced on me almost as soon as I got in the door. I didn't even have time to take off Sasuke's coat before she latched onto me. Holding me at arm's length she looked at me seriously for a few moments, I stared back in light amusement. Sometimes I really had no idea what was going through her mind.

"Sakura did you miss dinner to go on a date with a boy!?" She asked so suddenly that I burst out laughing. Shrugging out of Sasuke's coat I folded it over my arm and shook my head at her.

"I'm sure Dad will explain in the morning," I said cryptically. Really, I was feeling too tired to talk about what I had witnessed tonight. I needed some time to wrap my head around what the hell had actually happened.

"What do you mean!?" Mom yelled after me as I plodded up the stairs and to my room. No doubt she would be calling my dad to ask him straight away what had happened, but that was his problem not mine.

Closing my bedroom door, I threw the coat on to the bed and kicked off my shoes. I untied the ribbon around my neck, throwing it onto the back of my desk chair. Unbuttoning my dress, I sighed as the tight fabric was released. Grabbing hold of the hem I was about to yank it over my head when there was a knock at the door. I yelped, almost falling over. The knock hadn't come from my bedroom door, but from my balcony.

I turned around and was so shocked by the sight of Sasuke stood, smirking, on my balcony that I forgot that my dress was unbuttoned.

"Why are you here?" I hissed, opening the door just enough for us to talk through.

"Hn. I believe you stole my coat," he said with a slightly arrogant and sarcastic lilt to his usual monotone. "I need it back."

"You left in in my dad's office. How did you know it would be here?" I retorted, opening the door wider.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and shrugged trying to step around me to get in my room. I put my hand on the door to stop him, glaring up at him. His black eyes took on a mischievous glint as he stooped down to my level. My cheeks flushed, we were so close I could feel his breath on my skin.

"A-and you were watching me get undressed, you pervert!" I stammered, remembering my unbuttoned dress. I hastily fumbled with the buttons trying to cover myself.

"Sa-ku-ra let me in," he practically purred. I felt my cheeks flush and my eyes widen. His tone was so far from innocent that even my sexually oblivious mind could tell.

"No," I said quickly. Feeling uncomfortable I searched for a compromise. "You stay here and I will get you your coat if you want it so much."

Deeming this a good enough deal, Sasuke leaned back against the railing of my balcony and tipped his head back, looking up at the stars. I hurried back into my room, grabbing his coat only to turn around and find him right in beside me. I gasped tripping backwards onto the bed.

"I told you to wait outside!" I whispered quietly so my mom wouldn't hear. "My mom is downstairs!"

"But it's cold outside," Sasuke said nonchalantly. I shoved his coat into his chest and crossed my arms. He began rooting through the pockets for something. I watched him curiously as he pulled out a cell phone, it was a new-ish model, a bit beaten up, but still looking good. After checking it he put it back in his pocket and then pulled out two more items; a lighter and a cigarette.

"No, get out!" I said standing up and trying to push him towards the door. "You got what you came for, now go!"

Sasuke stood fast and, despite my hardest attempts to move him, he wouldn't budge. So instead I tried to reason with him.

"You know those things will kill you right? Do you know how much risk you're putting yourself at by smoking?"

He shrugged making no comment, but he put his cigarette and lighter back in his pocket. I sighed and crossed my arms, why was he still here. More importantly, how did he get here?

There was a long pause. Sasuke pulled his coat on in one swift motion. Giving me a small tilt of his head, he stepped back outside, swung himself over the balcony and off into the night.

I shivered as the cold wind blew in to my room. I shut the balcony door and then leaned against it, pressing my hand to my chest. My heart was beating fast. I began to wonder if this was all some strange dream. What happened the following day proved to me it wasn't...

...I slammed my hand down on my alarm to turn it off before staring up at the ceiling for a few moments, desperately wanting a few more hours of sleep. It was early, still dark outside, and I knew I have a while before I needed to be at school. The temptation was strong, but I didn't want to risk being late. Instead, I threw back the covers wincing at how cold it was. Tiptoeing my way to my en-suite I stripped off, turned on the water and got into the shower.

My morning routine passed normally and I was perfectly on time to school, sat in my form room just as the bell rang. I began to wonder if everything that had happened was just a dream. Frowning I reached down and touched my knee, it was beginning to scab over now. Maybe it had happened after all?

"Hey, are you even listening to me!?" My best friend yelled at me. I blinked, startled.

"Sorry Ino," I muttered. "I'm just a little tired, I had a late night."

"Ooh really? And what was miss goodie two shoes doing having 'a late night' hmm?" Ino asked, wiggling her perfectly arched eyebrows suggestively and winking. Ino had always been the queen of the double entendre. I laughed and shook my head, giving her a gentle push towards the wall, which she returned with more vigour. Ino had always been one to tease me, she was older (only by half a year) and much more mature.

Konoha Girls Private Learning Institute was an elite school for the more privileged girls of the city and I was one of the lucky few to have a place. Thanks to my dad's huge salary I had the privileged enough to be learning at the best school in the county. Ino was from a similarly wealthy background and though she may not have shown it, was grateful for the opportunity.

The day seemed to fly by and before I knew it I was walking out of the gates alone. It was late again - Ino normally left as early as she could so I walked alone. A few other students were walking too, but none of them I knew well enough to tag along.

As I walked home I resumed my thinking on the elusive Sasuke and if he had been some figment of my imagination. The thought had been playing on my mind all day. I looked up at the hospital as I passed. How on earth could someone survive that jump? I shook my head, maybe I had just imagined it all.

Speeding up I came to the side street. Peering into the gloom I took a cautious step forwards and then sighed.

Nothing.

Of course, there was nothing. Turning back to the open end of the street I stopped dead still. Blocking out the light were two figures.

"Hey kid, you shouldn't be down here!" one of them growled. Seeing nowhere else to go I took a few steps back into the street. "Hey don't I know you?"

"I-"

"Well how about that," the other replied laughing. "That's the nosey bitch who interrupted us yesterday."

My heart was pounding, so apparently it had not been a dream. I was rooted to the spot as they approached me. I willed my feel to move, but instead they trembled. The taller of the men pulled out a syringe filled with a strange sepia coloured liquid inside it. Was this what they used to drug Sasuke? Whatever it was would probably kill me, I reasoned. Sasuke was a mess and he had probably done some pretty bad drugs before.

"Fuck," I breathed out. My body still betraying me, would not budge an inch.

The taller man leered at me, grabbing my arm and holding it firmly by the elbow. I struggled pathetically in his grip as he jabbed the needle down into my arm. I didn't even feel it. The men let go and took a few steps back to watch my reaction. For a few seconds I felt completely fine and then the next I was stumbling my way towards the wall, not even trusting my own legs to keep me standing. It was a horrible feeling. My legs were numb and my head was swimming. I felt sick.

The two men grinned at each other and one of them pinned me up against the wall. I tried to scream, but it came out a whimper. I was completely helpless.

What was I thinking walking down some shady side street in the hopes of bumping into some tall mysterious bad boy? I felt the tears pooling in my eyes as the man leaned in to me, his hands wandering down my body. I couldn't feel anything past my hips and I was too horrified to look at what could have been happening.

Suddenly the man pulled away, there was a blinding flash of blue and red and I slumped down on to the floor. It took me a good half a minute to realise that the police were there. I heard the sirens rising in volume in my head. The two men looked at each other and bolted again, but this time they didn't get very far. I watched, vaguely aware, as they were arrested only thirty feet away from me. People had seemed to notice me now and were rushing over. The sound of the sirens felt like it was splitting my head open. The blur of voices overwhelmed me as people began to crowd, but there was one that seemed to stand out among the others.

"Hn, stupid," he muttered, sliding his hand around my waist and helping me to my feet. Sasuke.

I stumbled on my wobbly legs and practically knocked him over, much to the amusement of several police officers. Maybe he hadn't been lying about working for the police. Letting out an irritated sigh he stooped and picked me up, cradling me to his chest. I closed my eyes and tried to resist the urge to puke that was quickly taking hold. I heard Sasuke talking to some police officers and then we were moving.

"Hospital," I said weakly, distantly noticing that we were passing the hospital instead of going inside. "Sasuke, hospital."

"Just close your eyes. You'll be fine, you just need to sleep this off," Sasuke murmured, adjusting his grip on me. I closed my eyes as I was told, trying to fall asleep. It took less than thirty seconds for me to succumb to the darkness.

* * *

 **That's all for now people! Hope you're enjoying the read so far. I am aiming to update as quickly as possible since I have a lot of free time, but please still leave me some reviews to let me know you're enjoying the story!**

R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

Love is a Mystery

3.

I woke slowly. My head spinning, I was vaguely aware of my surroundings. I could feel the softness of the mattress beneath me and the weight of the duvet on top of me. Opening my eyes to thin slits I was met with a blur of white sheets and bright light. I groaned as my head began to pound from the harsh light. After a few moments trying to collect my strength I rolled over and opened my eyes fully.

"Hn, you're awake," A familiar voice said, startling me. I propped myself up on one elbow and came face to face with Sasuke. He was stretched out on the bed beside me, watching me carefully.

"Where...where am I?" I muttered groggily. I pushed myself further up and swung my feet onto the floor. The small movement had made me dizzy, so I sat with my head in my hands – waiting for the room to stop spinning. Meanwhile, Sasuke had made his way off of the bed and was crouching in front of me.

"You should go back to sleep, I'll take you home when you're feeling better," He said. I blinked in surprise, sure that was the longest sentence he had ever said to me. "Hn, do you need anything?"

"Water," I mumbled allowing him to gently push me back down onto the soft pillows. He returned holding a bottle of water. I took a few sips, soothing my dry throat, and placed the bottle on the bedside table. I glanced over at Sasuke who was loitering by the side of the bed, looking concerned. "Where am I?" I asked again, my voice a little stronger.

Before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Sasuke ignored it, leaning against the wall and watching as I struggled to move my heavy limbs. I had a larger amount of respect for Sasuke and his swift recovery after being drugged, I felt like I was made out of stone.

There was another knock on the door, this time more aggressive. Sasuke's jaw twitched in annoyance before he disappeared downstairs to answer it. There was the faint mumble of conversation and then suddenly shouting. My heart raced as I heard the door slam. Flinching, the sound resonated in my skull, making my teeth hurt. Wincing, I pressed a hand to my forehead and lay back down onto the pillows. Sasuke stormed back upstairs, a deep-set scowl on his face.

It was another hour before I was feeling slightly more functional, and Sasuke watched as I got to my feet and stumbled my way to the bathroom. I avoided looking in the mirror because I could imagine how terrible I looked. As a wave of nausea gripped me I leaned against the cool tile of the bathroom wall, preparing myself to leave.

There was a gentle knock on the bathroom door.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke asked through the door.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a minute," I replied pushing myself away from the wall and opening the door. "See?"

"Hn," Sasuke raised his eyebrow and shrugged. "Whenever you feel well enough I'll take you home."

I shrugged in response and looked around the sparsely decorated apartment. It was open plan, living room and bedroom separated by a half partition wall. Large industrial windows lined the entire back wall, letting light into what would otherwise have seemed a very dark space. Now my mind was clearing, I assumed that I was in Sasuke's apartment. It suited him, I thought as I looked around.

"I could do with sleeping in my own bed," I mumbled. "I bet my parents will be worried sick."

Sasuke was already putting on his shoes.

I gathered my things, my school bag, coat and my shoes and allowed Sasuke to lead me out of his apartment via a narrow set of stairs and out onto the street. To my surprise, Sasuke lived right in the centre of Konoha above a ramen shop. All around people swarmed on the streets and I swooned slightly as the bright lights interrupted my already cloudy mind. Without a warning, Sasuke's hand was clasped around mine and he began to pull me in the direction of my house. Part of me really wanted to just crawl back into Sasuke's bed and sleep off whatever was still in my system, but the other part of me - the more rational part - told me that I needed to go home.

"Sasuke," I muttered, as someone barged into me and he lost his grip on my hand. Naturally, I stumbled, falling almost head first to the floor and had it not been for Sasuke's quick reactions then I would probably have ended up with a few more injuries. I blinked up at him as he helped me back to my feet, my vision blurring. He held me for a moment, his arms supporting my body against his as I found my footing. I felt my dizziness was not being helped by our close proximity and pushed him away.

It was a long walk before we reached my front door. There were police cars in my driveway. I half expected Sasuke to abandon me at the doorstep and disappear mysteriously into the night, but he surprised me by wrapping an arm around me and knocking on the door. It was my father who answered.

"Oh, thank God!" He called out, grasping me by the shoulders. I winced as he squeezed me just a bit too hard.

"She needs to lie down," Sasuke interrupted, hoisting me through the door and pushing past my father. I allowed him to move me, seeing little point in resisting. We were just approaching the stairs when my mother ran out of the kitchen.

"Oh, Sakura!" She yelped, her face was red and blotchy from crying. I felt myself welling up at the sight of her, she must have felt like she would never see me again.

"Hi, mom," I gave a weak smile, trying to reassure her that I was ok. Sasuke's grip on me loosened slightly and I began to pull away only to find myself stumbling wildly, unable to feel my legs.

Sasuke's arm was around me in seconds, heaving me back to my feet and holding me upright. I let out the breath I'd been holding. My mom burst into tears all over again.

"Oh, my baby," she wailed rushing over and pulling me into an embrace. Sasuke stepped back.

Two police officer emerged from the kitchen behind my parents, loitering in the doorway. They gave Sasuke a curt nod in acknowledgement.

"Is my brother here?" Sasuke asked. Everything about his body language screamed hostility at the mere mention of his brother.

The tall grey-haired police detective, wearing a mask and a fairly plain suit, replied. "No, he's back at the station."

"Hn," Sasuke relaxed.

"Sakura'll be ok," he said to my parents. "She's slept for a good twelve hours, but she needs to take it easy for a few days. I'll go to the station and give a statement."

With that said, he turned and headed back out the door. I reached out suddenly, not even knowing why I did it and grabbed the sleeve of his coat. Sasuke moved so quickly I barely had time to draw a breath. I was pinned against the wall, my hand pinned behind me. I was very conscious of Sasuke's body pressing against mine.

Everyone was silent. My heart was hammering as I looked up at him, my cheeks red and my body shaking. Something in his eyes softened and he released his grip on my arm. He pushed himself away from me, leaning down to whisper in my ear; "Keep your balcony door unlocked."

My cheeks flushed with heat and I stayed leaning against the wall as Sasuke left with a small nod. Only when the door closed did I collapse to the floor.

"...I don't care! I don't like her hanging around with someone like that!" I woke to hear my parents having an argument in the kitchen. I was tucked up in my bed, they must have carried me up the stairs.

"He works with the police, honey, he's the safest person to have to look out for her," my father's voice was calm and steady.

"If he was looking out for her, why didn't he bring her to the hospital? Or home?" My mom hissed, making a fair point.

"He did bring her home," my father replied, before leaving the kitchen. I heard him come up the stairs and immediately closed my eyes, feigning sleep. The door to my room open and I tried to be as still as possible until he left. I couldn't tell if he had been as worried about me as he should be. Honestly, I was a little shocked by just how relaxed he had been about Sasuke taking me back to his apartment. It made me a little more confident in Sasuke's intentions, but it couldn't silence the nagging doubt I had deep in the pit of my stomach.

I waited for hours for Sasuke to show up at my balcony door, but he never came – at least while I was awake.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Please leave a review letting me know what you think, your feedback is super appreciated!**

 **R &R xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

Love is a Mystery

4.

It had been a full two weeks since that night I was rescued by Sasuke Uchiha and I hadn't seen him since. As Sasuke requested I left my balcony door unlocked, though I wasn't really sure why. The first night my heart was fluttering as I turned the key. I was even surprised by the pang of disappointment I felt when he didn't show up.

That night, I was sprawled on my bed, reading a book for school. I had returned to school after a week of absence and felt like I had missed a year's worth of work. I was working all hours desperately trying to catch up. I was so engrossed in the book that I barely heard the tapping on my balcony door. As it grew louder I was drawn out of my book-induced stupor.

I felt a thrill of excitement run through me. Turning quickly, my heart leapt when I saw Sasuke leaning against the railing. I practically ran to open the door, letting him in out of the cold. I shivered in my pyjamas as the winter chill clung to Sasuke.

"Hi, I breathed. A sense of anticipation overtaking me.

"Hn," he replied, looking indifferent. My heart dropped a little, confused. Why had he come all this way to see me if he didn't even want to speak to me? "How are you feeling?"

"Better," I replied with a smile. "No more walking down dark alleys for me, though."

I thought I caught the faintest glimpse of amusement on Sasuke's face before he turned away. I sat back on the bed as he looked around my room. I was still confused as to why he was here.

"I…I thought you might have visited me before now," I began. I was hoping to coax some form of conversation out of the mysterious man, but he ignored me. Picking up my notebook, Sasuke flicked through a few pages, his eyes scanning the notes I had made. Once he had put that down, he picked up another. This continued for several minutes. "Is there something you're looking for?"

"Hn."

I sighed, wiggling my way beneath the covers to stave off the cold air that Sasuke had brought in with him. I pulled them up to my chin, feeling a little conscious of my sleepwear. The first few nights I had tried to dress appropriately, full-length pyjamas that would keep out the cold, but after a week I had resorted to my normal silk nightgown. I shivered again, drawing Sasuke's attention away from my notebooks.

"You write very well for an eighteen-year-old," he noted. Then, as if seeing me properly, he frowned. "Why did are you in bed?"

"I was cold," I responded defensively. "I didn't think you'd mind since you were so busy snooping around my room."

Sasuke shrugged, "I don't mind. I just didn't know if you were trying to suggest that I get in there with you."

I snorted in surprise. My cheeks turning a bright shade of pink, I shook my head. That was definitely not the impression I had intended to give. Though it was satisfying to know he had considered it.

"No!" I spluttered, feeling flustered. "I didn't mean… I mean…It's not that you're not…I just…"

Sasuke's eyes glimmered with amusement.

"Relax, I wasn't suggesting that we do anything," he chuckled. "It does look warm though, and I'm so cold…"

My eyes widened in surprise as Sasuke made his way towards the bed, kicking off his boots. Alarmed, I scooted myself to the other side of the bed to make room for him. As Sasuke slid beneath the covers I felt the temperature drop and then rise quickly as I blushed furiously. I desperately tried to relax as Sasuke settled next to me, but I felt frozen.

"Are you cold?" he asked. I shook my head stiffly. "Why are you so tense?"

"I just want to know what you want," I replied, trying to avoid eye contact. Why had a let a practical stranger into my room late at night? And then why did I let him get in bed with me?

"I'm cold," he replied.

"You have an apartment, why not go there? You're the one to traipsed all the way out here, so you can't complain that you're cold. I didn't ask you to come to see me," I said snappily.

Sasuke looked surprised at my sudden annoyance and backtracked, "I wanted to tell you that the men who drugged you have been jailed. I testified at their trial this morning. It was an open and shut case really."

I opened my mouth to reply and then closed it again, trying to think of what to say.

"I never gave a statement," was the only thing I could manage. It was true, the police hadn't spoken to me after the incident and as far as I had known no charges had been pressed by my family.

"I pressed charges, they attacked me too remember," Sasuke shrugged. "Thought it would be best, otherwise they might find you again."

"Oh," I was surprised by the kindness of the gesture. "Thank you."

There was a long pause. I shifted in the bed unsure what else there was to even say. Sasuke was staring at me intently. I opened my mouth to speak when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. In a moment of panic, I turned to Sasuke and pulled him beneath the covers, hoping the number of blankets on the bed would hide him from view. Sasuke tried to protest, but I shushed him frantically pressing my fingers to his lips. Laying down I pretended I was asleep just in time for my door to open. I could sense my mom looking around the room, and I prayed that she wouldn't see Sasuke's boots on the floor. It would not have been an easy situation to explain. After a moment, which felt painfully long, the door closed again.

I sat up and pulled the covers back, removing my hand from Sasuke's mouth. He looked at me with a shocked expression and just the faintest hint of a blush on his cheeks. I put a hand over my mouth to suppress my laughter at the situation. Sasuke shook his head, a smile on his lips for the first time since I had known him. We locked eyes and I could feel the tension between us. My breathing hitched as Sasuke reached out and smoothed out my hair.

"I think that's my cue to leave," he said quickly getting out of bed and pulling on his boots. I watched as he prepared to leave, my body tingling.

"Bye, Sasuke," I whispered, opening the balcony door for him. He stepped out into the night, gave me a nod and a smile before swinging himself over the balcony railing and down into my garden. I locked the door behind him, sure that he wouldn't visit again that night.

I slept surprisingly well. My bed still held the warmth of Sasuke's body and I curled up in the spot he had been laying. Shutting my eyes and breathing in his scent, I fell asleep almost immediately.

A full day of school had worn away the good mood I had woken up with. I was walking out of the main entrance on time for once, Ino at my side, when I noticed a dark figure waiting outside the school gates. I stopped dead, trying to make out who it was over the crowd of school girls all eagerly pushing to get out of the gate and hoping I was right.

"Sakura?" Ino asked, waving her hand in front of my face, breaking my concentration. I looked up at her and faked a smile. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just a bit tired," I replied. It was true I was tired.

As we neared the school gate the dark figure became more recognisable. It was Sasuke. My heart skipped a beat. What was he doing here?

"Who is Mr tall, dark and handsome?" Ino asked spotting Sasuke for herself. As we approached the gate Sasuke stepped forward to meet us. Ino flipped her long blonde hair behind her shoulder and smiling flirtatiously. I was unsure of what to do or say- maybe it would be better if I ignored him?

"Hey, Sakura," Sasuke called as I walked past him. It was loud enough that people around me turned to look – I couldn't just ignore him. Ino blinked at me in surprise.

"Hi," I sighed, turning around and walking back to where Sasuke was standing. I was conscious of people staring as they walked past. Many of the girls were openly gawking at the sight of Sasuke and I talking I knew I was going to be the subject of the latest gossip. Ino coughed, nudging me with her elbow. "Sasuke, this is Ino. Ino, this is Sasuke," I introduced, trying not to sound as embarrassed as I actually was.

Ino practically licked her lips as she looked Sasuke up and down. It took all of my strength to keep from rolling my eyes. The three of us stood in silence for a few moments before I blurted out a question; "How did you know what school I go to?"

"Hn, please, I've seen you in your uniform three times now. It wasn't exactly difficult to look up," Sasuke replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes. That look made my stomach tighten anxiously. Ino shot me a look that meant I was in for a thorough interrogation later. I regretted not telling her about Sasuke sooner and hoped that she wouldn't be upset with me for keeping such a secret.

"I was just on my way home," I began, hoping to be excused from such an awkward encounter.

"Oh, well I have something I need your help with first," Sasuke replied, taking hold of my elbow and walking me away. I looked back at Ino in horror as we became separated. She gave me a confused look and a small wave as I was swept away.

I stumbled trying to keep up with Sasuke's long legged stride. He ignored my complaints, barely even acknowledging that I said anything.

"Can you at least tell me where we're going!?" I shouted at him, my frustration increasing.

"My place," he replied. My cheeks flushed as all the sordid possibilities flashed through my mind.

I remained silent the rest of the way to Sasuke's apartment. He unlocked the door just to the left of the ramen shop. Sasuke held the door open for me and I walked under his arm. Feeling uncomfortable I slipped off my shoes and left them by the front door, before following Sasuke up the stairs.

Sitting down on the couch, I watched as Sasuke propped his sword on a stand and took off his coat. His well muscled forearms flexed as he lifted a stack of papers on to the coffee table. I watched him, transfixed and curious at what the mysterious man was up to.

"Sasuke," I said softly. I was nervous, and a little excited, as to why he had brought me there. Sasuke looked up from the papers he was moving and tilted his head questioningly. "Why am I here?"

Sasuke put the papers down and crossed the room until he was stood directly in front of me. I closed my eyes as he raised his hand and held my chin between his thumb and index finger. I waited, expecting that any moment our lips would meet. After a few moments, I frowned.

"Open your eyes Sakura," he murmured. I opened my eyes, looking directly up at Sasuke. "You're here because I think you can help me. I need an assistant."

"A-assistant?" I pulled away from his grip, dejected and confused. "What?"

"You're a grade A student. I could use that. You're a very concise note taker," Sasuke answered his voice very soft, convincing, "I want you to help me… with research, things like that."

"O-okay?" I said. That was definitely not what I was expecting and certainly not what I thought he would have taken away from the previous night. I could have sworn there was a spark between us.

"Good!" Sasuke exclaimed, going back to the coffee table – urging me to come and join him. I followed obediently. And that was how I became Sasuke Uchiha's assistant.

 **There you go! Hope you like it! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

Love is a Mystery

5.

I heaved another stack of papers onto the floor, scraping my hair back out of my eyes, and began to sort through them. It was dark outside and my eyes were starting to get tired. In the past week, I had sorted through so many police reports, organising them into files and boxes and onto the shelves that lined the walls of the flat. Sasuke had given up helping a while ago and was watching me from the couch. I hadn't dared to speak unless he asked me a direct question – which had only occurred once; to ask if I wanted a drink.

After another hour of organizing, I sat back on my heels and sighed before collapsing to the floor heavily.

"I should be going home soon," I said softly as I locked eyes with the detective. "It's getting late and my mom will be making dinner."

"Hn," Sasuke replied, standing up and getting his coat. "I'll walk you home."

"Oh...no…you don't have to…" I said, also standing up. Sasuke looked at me with a slight smirk and a look of amusement on his face and I understood. I was the most prone person to trouble in the entire city or so it seemed. Having Sasuke walk me home was probably the safest I could be. So, I let him usher me down the stairs and out of his flat, barely giving me time to put on my shoes. The ramen stall next door to Sasuke's flat had drawn a large crowd that night and we pushed ourselves through the mass of people. Actually, the entire main street was bustling even more than usual. I looked around for some clue as to why everyone was inclined to be out tonight but found none.

"Hn, let's go," Sasuke said in a monotone. I rolled my eyes but walked alongside him, struggling to keep up with his long stride. It was colder out than I had first realised, and once again I wished I had brought a coat. Then, suddenly and much to my surprise, Sasuke wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into his side and rubbing my arm to warm me up. It was the first intimate moment we had had since the night we were in my bed together. I didn't mention it, I dared not mention it for a long time afterwards too. I felt my cheeks get hot in an involuntary flush. "Are you okay, you're all red, are you sick?"

"No…I'm fine," I mumbled, hoping that I could play it off as a reaction to the cold.

I couldn't deny that Sasuke was an attractive man, his high cheekbones, dark mysterious eyes and his well-toned body were all to die for, and for a while, I thought there may have been something between us. But since Sasuke had asked me to be his assistant there had been virtually no contact between us physically.

Sasuke let go of me and I made sure to keep at least a metre of space between us as we waded our way into the city crowds. Luckily, it wasn't quite late enough for the groups of party and club goers to be out and about just yet. I had an unfortunate string of luck for being harassed by drunk men and I'm not sure how Sasuke would have reacted.

I tried to ignore Sasuke's persistent stare as I walked on ahead, though I took a nervous glance behind me every once in a while, to make sure he was still there. We passed the hospital and I paused to look up at the yellow glow of light from my dad's office. Sasuke came and stood next to me, also looking up at the window. I sighed and continued walking again. I didn't even look when we passed the alley where we had first met.

The crowds of people began to thin as we crossed out of the inner-city districts and into the suburbs. It was six pm and a few school kids were still on their way home. Sasuke looked comically out of place in his dark attire compared to the bright uniforms of various schools. I chuckled to myself, hoping he hadn't heard me.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke asked, his face stoic as normal.

I blinked in surprise and then just shook my head at him. A mild flicker of irritation across his face before his expression was once again composed.

"You really don't look like you fit in here," I said softly. I always spoke softly to him, probably because he scared me half to death. "You look so ominous."

"Hn," Sasuke snorted and shoved his hands into his pockets. No more was said until we approached my house.

We stopped on the doorstep. I leaned awkwardly against one of the posts that supported the porch roof, unsure of what to say. After what seemed like an eternity I muttered a thank you and Sasuke merely nodded in reply. I reached for the door handle just as my mother yanked the door open, she must have been watching from the living room window.

"Sakura Haruno, have I taught you no manners?" she chided me, before turning to Sasuke and asking; "Would you like to stay for dinner, Sasuke? I never got to thank you properly for looking after Sakura."

Sasuke looked fazed, clearly not used to being asked such things. My mother's smile faltered slightly as Sasuke stood uncomfortably in the doorway.

"You don't have to…"

"No," Sasuke said suddenly. "No, it's…I'd…uh…dinner sounds great…" he said, clearly not used to forming such long sentences. I gave my mother a look before following her into the house. Now I'd have to sit through an incredibly awkward dinner too. Sasuke took off his coat and shoes and my mother raised her eyebrows, impressed that he was such a good house guest. I rolled my eyes and began taking off my loafers, gripping the stair rail so that I didn't fall over.

"It's just chicken curry for dinner, I hope that's okay?" Mom asked as she walked into the kitchen.

"Sounds good," Sasuke answered, watching as I struggled to pull the shoe off of my foot while balancing on one leg. "Hn, here." He stooped down grabbing hold of my raised leg and pulling the shoe easily off of my foot. I blushed, looking down at him as his hand gently ran down my leg before he stood up again. Shaking my head, I left Sasuke to the mercy of my mother and went upstairs to get changed.

I closed my bedroom door and undressed, throwing my uniform dress over the back of the chair and pulling off the many layers of petticoats as I crossed to my wardrobe. I pulled out a cropped grey sweater and a pair of grey skinny jeans. Once I was dressed again I brushed my hair and went back downstairs.

To my surprise, I could hear talking and laughter coming from the kitchen. Frowning, I opened the door to find Sasuke stood by the sink washing tomatoes and wearing an apron while chatting away to my mother with the most charming smile on his face.

"Oh, Sakura dear can you set the table," mom asked me while she began to dish out the curry, while Sasuke prepared a salad.

"Uh…yeah sure…" I said. I watched Sasuke warily as I gathered the cutlery.

"Mrs Haruno that looks delicious," Sasuke complimented as we all sat down to eat. My mother blushed and gave a flustered reply. I sat in silence, staring at my plate, completely unnerved. "Really Sakura you never told me your mom was so great."

I looked up at him with a puzzled look on my face. Of course I hadn't, we hardly even spoke to each other. "Uhm…well…I…uh…"

"Sweetie I'm home!" My dad called from the front door. I looked up in relief, thank god there would be someone else to talk to besides my mother and whoever Sasuke had been replaced with. "Oh Sasuke, I had no idea you'd be coming over for dinner?"

"It wasn't planned, but your lovely wife insisted after I walked Sakura home," Sasuke replied. Seriously, he looked more comfortable around my parents than I felt around them most days. This was such a drastic change from gloomy brooding Sasuke that I knew.

Dad sat himself down and tucked into dinner, he too seemed un-phased by Sasuke's sudden charm offensive. I ended up pushing my food around my plate, my appetite dampened by my confusion.

"Mmph!" I exclaimed as a forkful of rice and curry was pushed into my mouth. Sasuke was pulled his fork back from my mouth and scooped up some more of my food onto it. "What are you doing?" I asked flustered and embarrassed.

"You haven't eaten anything," Sasuke replied, and once again fed me a mouthful of curry. My parents watched bemused, and I felt my face grow hotter and hotter. "Open wide…"

"I'm not hungry Sasuke," I replied bluntly, standing up and leaving the kitchen. I stomped up to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I sat on my bed and hugged my pillow to my chest. Frustrated with Sasuke's previous lack of interest in me, this suddenly friendly behaviour had sent my teenage brain into meltdown. Downstairs I heard Sasuke leaving, apologising to my mother as he did so. As soon as the front door closed I flopped back onto my bed and stared up at the ceiling. I lay there for quite a while, wondering why my life had been turned upside down.

Rolling over I picked up my phone and dialled Ino's number, she answered on the first ring. "Hey, Sakura."

"Hey, Ino…" I sighed.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" She asked, her voice suddenly concerned. "Did Sasuke do something to you!?"

"What? No! But…yes…I don't know it's weird," I said, not quite sure where to begin.

"Oh god was it really kinky? Did he tie you up? Did you tie him up? He seems like he'd be into bondage-" She babbled on while I tried to explain myself.

"Ino! Nothing like that happened. Get your mind out of the gutter- AHHH!" I screamed as I rolled over to see Sasuke stood in the middle of my room. "Oh god, Ino I have to go…I'll uh I'll call you back…bye!"

I hung up and dropped my phone on the bed and stared at Sasuke who was once again wearing his stoic expression, though the amusement in his eyes betrayed the fact that he had overheard the conversation I had just been having on the phone. Sasuke stayed where he was and I nervously fiddled with my hair.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" I asked tiredly, not sure I could deal with him right this second.

"What was all that about?" He asked gesturing downstairs. I felt the anger well up inside me.

"What the hell was all that about!? You're seriously asking _me_ that question?" I snapped, raising my voice a little louder than I has intended to. Sasuke looked a little taken aback by my outburst. I silently prayed my parents couldn't hear.

"I…" Sasuke looked at a loss for words. "That's all fake y'know."

"What?"

"The charm and the smiling, it's all fake. I wanted your parents to like me," Sasuke explained, with a shrug.

"So, you don't want me to like you?" I questioned. "I'm sorry Sasuke, you're going to have to explain yourself a bit better than that because I don't quite understand."

"That's not what I'm saying," he crossed his arms, "you like me regardless of how I act."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he was right. I did still like him, even when he was being an infuriating bastard. He sat down next to me, scrutinising my face. I was angry.

"You should leave," I whispered.

"Hn," Sasuke didn't leave.

"You know what? You shouldn't be an asshole to me just because you think that I'll still like you. It's mean and it's manipulative and you've got to stop sending me mixed signals," I blurted. I clamped my hand over my mouth. My heart was hammering in my chest. I felt dizzy, as Sasuke's hand brushed against my cheek. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm your assistant, let's just agree that this is a professional relationship and that means no more coming to my school or my house or sneaking into my bedroom late at night."

"Ok," Sasuke nodded, still moving closer. His hand gripped the side of my face, fingers sliding into my hair.

"No, Sauske I don't think you're listening to me," I placed my hand on his chest, trying to push him away. "I don't think that I can work for you if this is..."

"I'll pay you."

"EXCUSE ME!" I yelled, furious at the concept.

"To work for me," Sasuke chuckled taking his hand away from my face and leaning back onto the bed. "I'll give you a salary."

I paused. An actual paying job, which wasn't totally horrible? It was almost too good to pass up, but morally it seemed a little skewed. There clearly was something, some kind of attraction, between Sasuke and I which kept breaking down any professional boundaries we set. If he were to employ me officially then there would be no question that I absolutely could not be with him.

"No..." I sighed. "Look, Sasuke...I was helping you as a friend. I don't think I can do that anymore. You're confusing me and I'm still at school, I'm behind on homework..."

Sasuke shook his head, standing up.

"Just think about it," he replied before leaving.

I shut the balcony door after some time, pausing before turning the lock. My head hurt. Groaning, I laid down on my bed and called Ino. I really needed her help to figure this all out.

 **Thanks for reading guys! Hope you enjoyed it! I'm so grateful for your reviews please continue to leave me your feedback. Love you guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

**sweetopia: So, before we start just gonna clear up how old they both are. Sakura is 18 and Sasuke is 22.**

* * *

6.

"Okay," Ino said as she dropped a huge stack of papers onto the table in front of me. We were sat in the school library, huddled in our usual corner table. "This is everything I've found on Sasuke."

"That's a lot," I said, surprised.

Since our conversation the previous night, Ino had been digging for information and digging hard. I looked from her to the mountainous stack of paper in front of me nervously. She sat down beside me and looked at me seriously, I felt my heart leap.

"Okay, what is it? You found something bad," I sighed.

"Well…" she grimaced. "Are you sure you want to know?"

I hesitated. Was I sure? For a moment I wanted to say no. I wanted to ignore any instinct I had that Sasuke was bad news. I wanted to go back to helping him after school every day. I wanted to continue our confusing back and forth over the line of appropriate behaviour.

"Yes, tell me," I winced.

"Here," she placed a photocopy of an article in front of me. For a moment I couldn't understand what I was looking at. I frowned, my eyes immediately drawn to the picture of a small boy, covered in blood being escorted by the police. Finally, everything came into focus.

The title read:

 **UCHIHA FAMILY SLAIN: YOUNGEST SON RESPONSIBLE?**

I didn't want to read on. Pushing the page away I shook my head.

"Sakura are you alright?" Ino placed her hand on my arm.

"That's not true," I whispered. "It isn't true is it?"

Without a worn Ino set down several more articles in front of me. I read through them my heart hammering as I read. It had been a media witch hunt. Sasuke, only seven at the time of the murders, had been hounded by the media for years after his parents' death without the slightest bit of evidence that he had been involved.

"Oh my god," I gasped as I read through the accusations. "Poor Sasuke!"

"I know!" Ino agreed. "That goes on for years. There wasn't any evidence and no one ever got charged for it, but Sasuke was the only one who was there so they basically pinned it all on him. Poor kid. You can kinda see why he's so weird now."

"He's not weird," I defended. Ino gave me a look. "Ok, maybe a little. But oh my god! Is there anything else?"

"Well," Ino flipped through the stack of paper. "There's a tonne more just like that, up until Sasuke was about sixteen and then he sort of disappeared for a while there. The next thing I can find is this." She places an article in front of me about a minor crime being solved by none other than small time detective Sasuke Uchiha.

"Hey, I've seen this before!" I exclaimed, earning a warning look from the librarian. "I've seen this in Sasuke's stuff, the case file for it."

We spent time poring through the newspaper articles, all about Sasuke's proficiency in solving hundreds of crimes. They ranged from thefts to missing persons to cold case murders. I was amazed. Pretty much all this time I had figured that Sasuke had been obsessed, but not highly active in actually solving crimes.

"This is incredible," I concluded, putting the last piece of paper down. "This is actually incredible!"

"So, what are you gonna do?" Ino asked with a sly smile.

"I'm not sure," I replied. It was a lot of information to factor into my decision. "At least now I know why he's still such an asshole."

Ino snorted, earning us another sharp look from the librarian. I mouthed "sorry" and turned back to my best friend who was still giggling.

"Do you think I should talk to him…y'know about his family?" I asked cautiously. Ino settled down instantly and gave me a serious look. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as her big blue eyes bored into me. "What?"

"Sakura! You're so dense!" She groaned. "You can't just ask him about it! If he hasn't told you then he probably doesn't want you to know."

"I know, but…"

"But nothing," she shook her head. "I am warning you Sakura, do not ask him about it." I sighed as she got up to leave, picking up the piles of paper and stacking them neatly. "Do you want these?"

I took a few of the early articles about Sasuke's family and ignored the look Ino gave me as I did so. Tucking them into my satchel, I helped her take the rest to the recycling bin. We walked out of school in silence.

My head was swimming as I thought about what I was going to do about Sasuke. I had to see him, I had to speak to him, I decided. Ino and I walked out of the school gates as I was formulating a plan in my head. Neither Ino or I said a word as we walked down the street and into the city together. The weight of our discovery heavy on our minds.

We stopped at the corner of the street where we usually parted ways and stood for a moment, Ino watching me carefully as she decided if she was going to leave me or not.

"Please don't do anything you'll regret," she said finally as she turned to walk away.

I waved her goodbye, waiting until she was out of sight before I set off again. I moved quickly now, rushing to get to Sasuke's apartment. I pushed through the crowd, elbowing my way past as many people as I could. When I reached Sasuke's door I was gasping for air. It took a moment for me to collect myself enough to ring the doorbell.

Still breathing hard, I pressed the bell twice and waited. Over the noise of the street, I couldn't hear Sasuke come down the stairs. He startled me when he opened the door, only adding to my breathlessness.

"Oh, Sakura," he sounded surprised, but his face didn't show it.

"Coffee?" I breathed, giving him my best smile. All of a sudden, I felt nervous, my palms grew sweaty and my blood thundered through my veins. With a shrug, Sasuke went back inside to get his coat. When he came back down I tried to be a little calmer.

"Anywhere in mind?" He asked as we walked down the street.

"Not really, do you know somewhere that's open?" replied, hopeful that he did. Sasuke rolled his eyes at me but took the lead. I followed behind him anxiously, my hand slipping into the satchel, feeling the pages I had kept.

We ended up at a 24-hour diner on the west side of the city. It was grimy and run down, the vinyl seats of the booth we had tucked ourselves into were peeling and patched with tape. I pulled a face at the chipped paint and dirty windows but kept my opinions to myself. Sasuke ordered us both coffee from a tired looking waitress.

"So," he said, cradling the warm cup in his hands, eyeing me over the rim. I coughed and took a sip of my own coffee, scalding my mouth.

"I…" I wasn't sure where to begin. "I think I might have been a bit hasty yesterday, when I turned down your offer."

Sasuke said nothing, waiting for me to continue. I paused, and opened my bag, pulling out the papers Ino had given me. Bracing myself, I laid them on the table.

"I did some research…" I began.

Sasuke tilted his head, a muscle in his jaw twitching, I honestly thought he was about to hit me. I felt the regret and panic mixing in my stomach, making me feel sick. He slammed his hand down on the table, everyone in the diner fell silent, looking around the room to see what the disturbance was. I began to feel faint.

"We're leaving," he said calmly, but I could practically taste the venom in his words. His hand wrapped around my wrist with bruising force and yanked me up out of my seat. I looked helplessly around as Sasuke swept dramatically out of the cafe.

I was trembling, pulling feebly, but Sasuke's grip didn't relent. I cried out at him and he still ignored me. I knew I was causing a scene, but I wanted to, I was safer in a crowd. My panic rose when I saw he was leading me into the park at the edge of the city. It was in the no-go area of town, a stalking ground for drug dealers and rapists. I protested, struggling even harder, but Sasuke fixed me with a withering stare and I fell silent following him meekly.

We headed deep into the park. I tripped and stumbled on the uneven ground as we trekked through the woodland. When we came to a clearing he let go of me, practically flinging me onto the ground. I fell backwards and landed on the floor, skinning my palms as I broke my fall. Sasuke's eyes had become even darker as he looked down on me, furious. I could hardly bear look at him.

"What were you even trying to achieve?" his tone was cold and I shuddered involuntarily. "Do you want money or information? Are you going to sell me out to the newspapers?"

"No, I-!"

"You don't have the right to talk right now," he snarled, turning away. I guess he couldn't look at me either. I was ashamed. "What do you know about anything? Your biggest problem is being late to dinner."

I didn't reply. I felt the hot tears begin to drip down my face and I fought to keep from sobbing. The sky was grey and promising of rain and the wind ruffled the trees.

"I want to help!" I cried, suddenly feeling a wave of bravado.

"There is nothing you can do for me Sakura!" Sasuke shouted as he turned quickly to face me. I yelped, I'd never heard him shout before. In panic, I stood – unsure if I was going to run or stay. His eyes were angry and I could feel the sharpness of his stare. Ino had been right, I never should have brought it up.

"I don't see what I did wrong!" I whimpered, the tears were coming thick and fast now there was no use trying to control them.

"Oh, you are so fucking naïve!" He spat taking a step closer. I took a step back reflexively. "Scared of me, are you? Afraid I'm going to murder you?" He said sarcastically. I clenched my fist.

"I didn't mean anything by it," I tried to explain, but Sasuke wasn't interested in listening.

"You went behind my back," he stated. "You _researched_ me. I'm not a project for you, Sakura."

"I just wanted to understand," I pleaded with him.

"Oh, fuck off Sakura!" He screamed at me.

Then it began to rain. First slowly, just a few drops crashing into the foliage and then it cascaded down on top of us. We were soaked to the skin, but Sasuke continued to shout at me and I continued to cry. I don't know how long we spent there, but the rain was relentless. By the end I was shivering, hair plastered to my face and make up running in dark streaks down my face. He took one last look at me and then briskly walked away. And I was left alone in the rain.

I didn't talk to anyone once I had finally made it home that night. Believe me, when I turned up hours late and soaked through there were questions, but they were questions I just didn't want to answer. I stormed up to my room and slammed the door behind me before I began crying again. Loud, body shaking sobs. I was sure my parents could hear me, but I didn't care. Stripping off, I crawled, still damp, into my bed. Pulling the covers over my head I cried into my pillow.

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 **Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave me a comment/review and let me know what you thought!**


	7. Chapter 7

Love is a Mystery

7.

The rain had continued through the night and I barely slept. I tossed and turned feverishly, turning to face the balcony doors in the fear, and hope, that Sasuke would appear - standing on my balcony dripping wet. Sasuke never came.

I woke the next morning, after a pitiful amount of sleep, to bright sunlight. I looked out of my window to see no evidence that it had rained at all. My head throbbed and I pulled the duvet back over my head. There was a knock at my door. I groaned.

"Go away, I don't want to talk about it!" I shouted, my voice hoarse from crying.

"I brought you breakfast," my mom called through the door.

"I'm not hungry," I replied, still not moving from the sanctuary of my bed. I listened until I heard her go back downstairs before I opened the door and took the tray I knew she'd leave for me.

Sighing, I decided it was time to get on with my day. After distracting myself with homework for most of the morning I finally ran out of things to do. Left alone with my thoughts, I wondered about Sasuke. I wondered so much about him that I began to feel restless, suffocated in my bedroom. I knew for a fact that Sasuke would still be mad at me, but he might have just calmed down enough to listen to my side of the story.

Throwing caution to the wind, I grabbed my things, shoving anything I could possibly need into the pockets of my spare coat. Unable to face my parents, I climbed down the balcony railings and snuck out of the garden.

Though it was sunny, it didn't stop it from being bitterly cold outside and I shoved my hands deep into my pockets. I made the trek from my house to Sasuke's flat above the ramen stall in record timing but I hesitated on the steps leading up to his door.

After several minutes of hovering on the doorstep, I finally summoned the bravery to ring his bell. I pressed the button on the speaker when no one opened the door; "S-Sasuke...If you're in there can you please open the door?"

I waited five more minutes, but the door still didn't open. Telling myself that he must just be out, I sighed deeply and ducked under the fabric curtain of the ramen stall. It was practically empty at this time of day. All of the lunchtime rush had subsided. Only one lone man sat at the long bar, his blond hair sticking up crazily. I took a seat next to him, feeling that it would be rude to sit at the opposite end of the bar. He looked up from his ramen bowl briefly to give me a grin, but then returned to eating.

With food ordered and sitting in front of me steaming, I felt the warmth begin to return. In my head, I made a promise to myself to stay a few hours and try Sasuke again. The blond man slurped down the last of his bowl and turned to me.

"Hey there," he grinned, giving me a goofy wave. I couldn't help but smile back. "This is the first time I've seen you in here, just moved to the area?"

"Uh, oh no, no," I laughed, "I came to see someone, but I don't think he's in..." I trailed off.

"Oh no! Were you stood up! I'm so sorry I asked! Here let me buy you some ramen to make you feel better!" the blond man flailed around wildly.

"No! It wasn't a date!" I said trying to calm him down. "He's, well he's my friend...I guess...he lives in the flat upstairs."

"Oh," he said dumbstruck. "OHHHH, YOU KNOW SASUKE!?"

I was completely confused as to how this blond hyperactive ball of cheer knew Sasuke Uchiha, the epitome of gloom and brooding. I blinked at the man as he gawped at me, momentarily stunned to silence, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Uhm...yes, kind of...I uh...How do you know Sasuke?"

"I'm Naruto! His best friend!" he exclaimed, suddenly looking suspicious of me. "Who are you?"

I was trying to think of a reasonable answer for at least a minute when I just sighed and told the truth; "I'm his assistant. We helped each other out a couple of times and he asked me to help sort out his case files. It's nice to meet you Naruto, I'm Sakura."

We shook hands and instantly I felt a connection here. Maybe he could help me with Sasuke. And so, I forgot the cold and the worry I had felt, letting myself enjoy the man's company. The sun disappeared and the rain began to fall in a light drizzle as we sat in the warmth of the small ramen shop. Few people came and went leaving just us two to last out the hours. I didn't even realise how late it was until I caught a glimpse of the darkening sky.

"I should probably get going," I sighed, not really wanting to leave, in case Sasuke ventured out of his apartment.

Just as we were getting up to say goodbye, a pair of long, black jean-clad legs stumbled their way to the cloth door. Naruto and I looked at each other and grinned; "Sasuke."

Sasuke had been drinking. I could practically taste the fumes coming off of him as he stumbled his way into the ramen bar. My heart leapt, expecting him to yell at me, but he gave me a vague wave and pulled me back into my seat. Naruto practically pounced on him, but Sasuke merely pushed him off and he sat on the other side of him. Sasuke ordered some pork ramen and another glass of whiskey.

"How much have you had to drink?!" I hissed, trying to keep my voice low.

"Hn. I see you met Naruto," Sasuke ignored me, his words slurring.

"Sasuke," I said reproachfully. "This isn't good for you..."

I tried the gentler approach, but that didn't work either because he downed the entire glass in one. I sighed in frustration, looking at my phone. I was going to be so late if I didn't go now, and I had school the next morning. I figured I could trust Naruto to look after Sasuke, and so I stood ready to leave.

Sasuke swung around in his seat. "Where are you going?"

"I have to go home," I said, exasperated. "Some of us have school in the morning."

Naruto frowned in surprise at the way I spoke to Sasuke as if I were completely indifferent to his charms. Sasuke glared at me and I tried to stop the shudder that rippled through me. There was something primal in Sasuke's look now, I sensed if I didn't leave now then I wouldn't be leaving at all. Even so, I hesitated, glancing back as I turned and that was it.

I turned back around, grabbed Sasuke's arm and pulled it over my shoulder. Sasuke meekly objected. Rolling my eyes, I hauled him onto his feet.

"Can you help me get him to his apartment?" I asked Naruto. He nodded and pulled Sasuke's other arm over his shoulder. Together we walked him up the steps to his apartment. I fumbled in Sasuke's pockets and found his keys. We all piled through the front door.

Dragging Sasuke up the stairs, we heaved him onto the couch. It was only a moment before he was up again, taking a bottle off of his bookshelf. Everything that happened after that became a blur, but Sasuke and I ended up having a fight. I wasn't sure how it happened exactly...all I know was that we were in the kitchen...

..."You're being ridiculous!" I shouted at him while he was drinking whiskey in the kitchen, straight from the bottle. "You're throwing your life away! Naruto, tell him!"

Naruto put his hands up in defence as if to say "I'm not getting involved."

"Oh, I'm being ridiculous? You're the one who keeps showing up at my flat, or down dark alleys, you look for trouble...you...you attract it! You're better off just staying at home where mummy and daddy can look after you!" Sasuke snarled at me, coming closer to me. I seethed at him, blatantly ignoring my ringing phone. Naruto just looked on bewildered as to how this had even happened. "I thought you'd stay away from me after the other day...I told you I don't need your help."

I pushed him away, trying to take the bottle from his hand, but he brought it up to his lips again.

"Ugh, I give up! I'm not having any more to do with you! You run yourself into the ground! See if I care!" I was practically screaming at him now. All of my pent-up frustration at...well everything in my life was being directed at him.

Sasuke grabbed hold of me, letting the bottle fall to the floor, and pressed his lips to mine. I froze. The glass bottle shattered at our feet. He tasted like whiskey and something subtler, something that I couldn't put my finger on. I could feel his hand, a desperate grip, pressed again my jaw, the other tightly pressed to my back. I could feel the softness of his mouth, and the tension in his jaw. It was over before I had the chance to gather my senses and Sasuke stepped back, letting go of me. Suddenly I was overwhelmed, I had no idea what was going on I just knew I had to get out.

"I have to go," I said softly and I turned on my heel and ran.

I ran out into the street, practically falling down the steps from Sasuke's apartment. My face was flushed and my heart was hammering in my chest and I had absolutely no idea what to do. Wiping my scraped hands on my coat, I hurried to lose myself in the crowd - almost sure I could hear Sasuke stumbling down the stairs and Naruto shouting at him to let me go.

I felt hot tears flooding down my face as I ran away. I didn't care at the people staring at me as I passed, sobbing and gasping for air. When I finally slowed to a stop I realised I was not outside of my house, but outside of Ino's.

Knocking once, I pushed the door open knowing it would be unlocked. Ino bounced her way out of the kitchen, boy in tow. She froze when she saw me. I had no idea how bad I looked but I could certainly guess.

"Oh my god! Are you okay!?" Ino yelped, letting go of the dark-haired boy's hand and grasping my shoulders tightly. "What happened to you?!"

"I..." I needed to sit down. "I have some things to tell you."

Ino rushed her boyfriend out the door and then lead me up the stairs to her bedroom. When we were settled I began to explain everything that had happened since we parted ways on Friday. When I had finished we sat in silence for a few minutes white Ino tried to process all of the information I had just given her.

Then there came the barrage of questions I had been anticipating; the what's, the who's, the where's, the why's.

It was getting later and later and eventually, the constant ringing of my phone meant that I had to call my mom to let her know I wouldn't be coming home. She hadn't been thrilled by my explanation, but there wasn't much she could do.

Ino's parents were out of the country at a flower show in Europe so it was just the two of us for the evening. I borrowed some of Ino's pyjamas and we both climbed into her king size bed turning off the lights. For some time, I lay awake and listened to Ino's breathing grow more and more even as she fell asleep. I couldn't sleep, my mind was clouded by that kiss. I was plagued by regret at not kissing back, but at the time I honestly hadn't wanted to. I had been so angry at him.

Then my phone lit up the room and I reached over to the bedside table and pressed the 'read message' button. It was from Sasuke's number.

 _I'm so sorry about what happened tonight. Sasuke's a good guy, but he's gone through a lot in his life. Anyway, hope you got home safe and that you're okay. All the best. Naruto._

I couldn't help the pang of emotion I felt as I read that text. This guy really cared about his friend, which was probably good because I couldn't see Sasuke having a lot of friends. After collecting my thoughts, I composed a reply.

 _Just letting you know I'm staying at a friend's house tonight, but I am safe. It's probably better for us both if we don't speak again. All the best. Sakura H._

After sending the text I decided that it didn't matter if it was Sasuke or Naruto who read it.

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 **Sweetopia: Sorry it's only short, I promise to make the next chapter a lot longer!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW! I really appreciate all the feedback you guys give me!**


	8. Chapter 8

Love Is A Mystery

8.

It had been three weeks since I had last seen Sasuke and I was getting back to normal. It was almost as if none of it had ever happened. My mom seemed pleased when I had started coming straight home from school instead of coming home late with a Sasuke at my side. I knew she had noticed that I had stopped bringing his name up in conversation but she was yet to ask me why and I was thankful for that. I slipped back into my old routine with surprising ease, but despite being glad of the return to normal life I felt like something was missing.

It was December, just before Christmas, and the sky was heavy with snow clouds. It was bitterly cold as I walked out of the school gates and I wrapped my coat around me, feeling glad I had worn two pairs of knitted white tights. The hill that lead from the school down into the city was dangerously icy, but I managed to pick my way down the pavement without incident. Then came the sudden rush you get by stepping suddenly from the quiet dark street and into the bright and bustling city. People of Konoha were very enthusiastic about Christmas, the city was covered in fairy lights and people swarmed the shops which were open late into the night.

Picking up my pace, I shoved my hands deep into my pockets to stave off the cold. Keeping my eyes on the street in front of me I almost didn't realise that I was approaching Sasuke's apartment. Almost. For some reason, I hesitated, my feet stumbling over themselves as I approached the door. That slightest hesitation mattered more than I could have known, because it was that hesitation that lead one of the most terrifying nights of my life.

Just as I was about to start walking again, I felt someone clamp and hand over my mouth. Of course, I panicked. I kicked and struggled against whoever had a hold of me. The hand on my head held me firmly preventing me from seeing whoever had attacked me. I stilled as the stranger pressed the barrel of a gun into the small of my back.

"If you so much as scream, you'll never be able to walk again," voice whispered into my ear. "Do you understand?"

I nodded my head and the hand was released from my mouth. I kept starring straight ahead, hoping someone in the crowd would see the panic on my face, but no one did.

"Walk," the man commanded, grabbing my arm and shoving me down a small gap between two buildings. The gap was barely big enough for me to walk down, but I didn't dare refuse. "Stop."

I froze, wondering if this is where he was going to shoot me. I braced myself for the impact, eerily calm. To my surprise there was no gunshot, but a bag was shoved over my head. I yelped in surprise, and received a prod in the back from the gun. I held my tongue. The stranger continued to shove me down the alley until we came out the other side. I winced as my hands and ankles were bound and I was practically thrown into the back seat of a car. I could barely believe what was happening. I felt sick and hot, as the engine sounded. I tried to keep a track of the turns the car made, but after about thirty minutes I had lost track. My heart was thundering in my chest, but I was frozen.

The car stopped abruptly and within seconds I was being dragged out of the back seat. I winced as I collapsed onto the floor, sharp gravel digging into my skin. I had no idea where I had been taken, but when the bag was pulled off of my head I knew that I was in the presence of someone very, very dangerous.

"Hello Miss Haruno," a dark-haired man greeted me, his voice cold. His long hair was tied back with a deep red ribbon that matched the maroon colour of his eyes. He was well dressed, in a three-piece suit and he held a silver and mahogany cane in his right hand. "Let's talk about Sasuke."

I struggled against the bonds around my wrists and legs, fighting to get free. The man looked like he was growing impatient with my brief silence, but he said nothing, merely looking at me with his unnerving eyes. It was very late now, the moon shone down on the sparse landscape of the out of town parking lot as I desperately tried to get free.

"Who are you?" I finally managed to form a sentence and was surprised by how strong my voice sounded. My heart was shuddering in my chest and I felt like the air was being pulled from my lungs. The man pursed his lips and tapped his cane on his foot. He almost looked like he was going to simply ignore me, but then he shifted slightly, eyes skimming over me critically.

"Someone far too important to spend too long talking with you," he said in a monotone. "Now, how do you know Sasuke?"

"How do you know Sasuke? Is he in trouble? Because I've got nothing to do with him anymore," I babbled. The man seemed to be growing tired of me quite quickly.

"People will know I'm gone," I said hastily.

"Oh, I'm sure they will," he replied with a wry smile. "If you insist on telling me lies Miss Haruno I can see what your parents know about the young man? People are far less likely to get all of a stir over a missing adult than a missing child." The tone of his voice, though not threatening, sent a chill down my spine.

"No!" I panicked. "No, okay...what...what do you want to know?"

The man lifted his cane to my face, trailing it across my cheek, the silver setting cold against my skin. "What do you think of him? Sasuke Uchiha?"

"He's a fucking dick," I blurted out before I could stop myself. "He's shallow, narcissistic and he never listens to me, he's drunk and delusional and he drove me absolutely crazy!"

"But?" The man asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"But...whatever you're planning to do to him, please don't. He doesn't deserve it," I softened, suddenly feeling very protective.

The man cocked his head and looked at me curiously.

"Oh, I'm just checking up on him. It's been a while since my dear brother decided to have a civil conversation with me."

"Brother!" I yelled, struggling to sit up only to be pushed back to the floor. "You're Itachi!? You're supposed to work for the police! You just kidnapped me!" I was in a state of disbelief.

"Good kisser, is he?" Itachi asked, completely ignoring my outburst. My face flushed instantly giving me away. "Oh, interesting...you're not his normal type."

"Are we done? I would really like to go home," now I knew who I was speaking to I felt a lot braver.

"Home, or Sasuke's?" Itachi asked with a slick grin.

The look on my face caused him to smirk as he climbed back into the car. My eyes widened in horror as the engine started and the car began pulling away. Itachi waved at me out of the back window and smiled.

"Hey. Hey! Come back! You can't just leave me here!" I screamed, but he was already gone.

This could not be happening to me, I thought as I sat on the cold ground. I yanked my wrists furiously against the rope, feeling it burning against my skin. Thankful that my hands had been tied in front of me, I managed to pull my phone from my pocket and considered who I could call. Not my parents, explaining the situation to them would be a nightmare. The police were out of the question considering that I had been kidnapped by them.

After several minutes shivering on the gravel floor I did the only think I could think to do at a time like this.

"Hello?" Sasuke answered on the first ring.

"Sasuke, it's me," I said a little sheepishly. "Sakura."

"Can you make this quick I'm working," he replied, back to his monotone as soon as I mentioned my name.

"Oh, if you're working I can call someone else..." I trailed off, losing my nerve. I knew there was no one else I could call.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked sounding annoyed. I took a breath, relieved that he didn't just hang up the phone.

"I've just met your brother," I stated. "I may need a ride home."

"What do you mean you met my-" He paused, "stay exactly where you are, don't move from that spot until I come and find you."

"I don't know where I am," I replied quickly. "I think it's an old parking lot, somewhere outside the city."

"What is our problem with getting yourself into trouble?" Sasuke mumbled. " Just stay where you are, I'll find you." He hung up.

It was almost a full hour before I heard the sound of an engine approaching and I was hugely relieved to see it was Sasuke. Less relieved to see that he was riding a motorcycle. He swung himself over the bike, removed his helmet and walked up to me. With a heavy sigh, Sasuke crouched down beside me and began to untie the knots around my wrists. My fingers were stiff from the cold and try as I might I struggled undoing the rope around my ankles. Seeing me struggling, Sasuke batted my hands away and did it himself.

"Thank you," I said softly. "I'm...I'm sorry."

Sasuke didn't speak to me, he merely handed me the helmet and climbed on his motorbike. Nervously I climbed on the back and placed my hands gently on his waist. Sasuke turned and rolled his eyes before gunning the engine. Quickly, I found myself wrapping my arms so tightly around him that I was surprised that he could breathe. I blushed under the helmet as I felt his muscles flex as he steered the bike along the country back road.

The city soon came into view, bright lights and busy people. I looked around nervously, almost expecting to see Itachi watching us smugly from the shadows. Sasuke brought the bike to a stop in the alley behind his house and I cringed slightly as I removed the helmet and handed it back to Sasuke. There was a brief moment of electricity, a spark, as our fingers brushed over each other and then it was gone.

"Thanks for the ride," I said softly, half turning away. To my surprise, I felt the cold grasp of his hand around my wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Home?"

"No," he stated. "I called your parents before I came to get you. You're staying here."

"Oh... do you really think that's a good idea…" I drifted off.

Sasuke shot me a tired look and I followed him up the stairs to his apartment. I gave a quick sweeping glance to the rest of the street before going inside, feeling as though someone was watching me.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was very warm inside, perfect for curling up and going to sleep, which was exactly what I needed. I slipped out of my shoes and padded my way over to the couch where I assumed I would be sleeping. Sasuke rooted around in the cupboards, pulling out a blanket and a pillow and then a large t-shirt.

"Do you want to take a bath? There's hot water..." Sasuke muttered. He seemed off...not overtly uncomfortable, but something had him on edge. I nodded gratefully.

The bath was filling with water and I sat on the edge of the stand-alone tub in Sasuke's marble bathroom. I was wrapped in a fluffy white towel, watching as the steaming water filled the tub. When the bath was sufficiently full, I let the towel slide to the bathroom floor and slipped into the tub. I let out a sigh and settled down into the water, letting it rise to my chin.

I was tired, sore and all together still a little terrified but something in me was glad I was spending the night here. Sasuke could protect me here. I felt (probably unwisely) safe. Even so, I had a lot of pent-up emotion and tears were pouring down my face before I knew what was happening. What the hell had happened to my ordinary life?

I had tried to cry quietly, but I could tell when I came out of the bathroom that Sasuke had heard. Though I was surprised that he didn't say anything about it. I sat down on the couch and pulled the blanket over my legs, hugging my knees to my chest. I'm not sure exactly what I hopped to achieve by starting this conversation, but after a few moments silence, as Sasuke was pulling off his shirt and climbing into his bed, I asked it...

"Have you ever loved someone?"

The question was met with silence and I stared up the ceiling, my cheeks flushing red in the dark. I felt foolish for expecting an answer to such a personal question.

"Yes...once...I think," he replied, his voice was deep and rough as ever, but not cold.

"Oh," I replied, again not quite sure what I hoped to achieve. There was a long pause.

"It was so long ago I hardly even remember," he sighed. I heard him shift in the bed, but I didn't dare look over at him.

"Is it nice? Being in love, I mean...?" I was hesitant, not wanting to push the conversation too far. Sasuke and I had never spoken about much else besides his work and even that was in snippets of conversation, a sentence or two at a time. But there was something about the lateness of the hour and the privacy of the dark that made me bold.

"You mean you've never been in love?" Sasuke asked sounding surprised. I blushed and I thought back on my previous failed attempts at relationships. Sasuke took my silence as I had intended it, as a firm no. "It's warm, it's all consuming and entirely horrible...not worth the trouble."

I felt strangely comforted by his response. Maybe I just wouldn't fall in love...and there would be no perfect husband and there would be no children...maybe there was going to be no time for that at all. I blinked as tears pricked my eyes. It wasn't as if I wanted to rush my life, but the feeling that I was utterly alone and could be for the rest of my life left me cold. There had been someone once, I had tried so desperately feel something for him. So desperately that I had let him do awful things to me. A painful memory sprung to my mind and I shoved it down.

"What happened to her Sasuke?" I asked to distract myself, but I winced as my voice cracked and trembled, betraying the previously silent tears that had slowly crept from my eyes.

"What happened to you?" He replied, honing in on my sadness. "A pretty thing like you has to have loved someone...if...if someone like me has...then you must have." He stopped talking as though he had just realised something, his voice turned sour, "what did he do to you?"

Of course, if someone could guess, it would be Sasuke. His mind made leaps and bounds that even I couldn't follow. I remember the night I had met him and my dad had said 'he can know everything about you in just a look'. Maybe that wasn't strictly true, but he did come close to the mark. It was not my turn to remain quiet...I hadn't spoken about it...not to anyone...not even to utter the words out loud...I had broken my heart over it so many times, how could I have been so stupid.

"She was like summer," Sasuke said gruffly. "She had red hair and tanned skin and she treated me like I was god's gift. I loved her more for that than anything." Sasuke chuckled bitterly in the darkness. "She got sick of me eventually."

I pulled the blanket to my chin. We were both reliving painful memories. "Whatever you're not telling anyone Sakura, you should."

"I can't," I breathed, my chest feeling tight. This was surreal, this was painful and it was the most unique night I had spent, so why not? Why not let Sasuke know the deepest darkest secret of my life. I knew his. "He...It was my fault really...I changed my mind and he didn't..." my voice cracked again, I was struggling to get the events straight in my head.

Suddenly my eyes were blinded by light. I flinched and put my hands over my face.

"Hang on," Sasuke muttered, padding to the kitchen. I heard the sound of glasses clinking together and Sasuke returned with a bottle of whiskey and two tumblers. I sat up and tucked my legs beneath me. Sasuke flipped the light off and collapsed onto the couch beside me. A glass was pressed into my hands. "Drink, it helps, trust me."

I did as he said, trying not to cough as the liquor burned its way down the back of my throat. My eyes stung and my throat burned, but I took a second gulp and another until it was gone. Sasuke watched me through the dark, occasionally drinking from his own glass. When I was done he filled my glass and nodded at me to talk.

For a few seconds, I was stunned to silence, watching Sasuke in the light that slipped through the slatted blinds covering the window. The light ripped down his half naked body, highlighting scars and casting shadows over his well-muscled form. I felt very unattractive then, in a baggy grey t-shirt with a blue wool blanket draped across my knees.

"It happened last year," I finally began, looking down into the bottom of the glass. "I had been dating this guy for a few months," I paused and took a sip.

"We were at a party," I recalled. "It was my birthday...and we were...we were fooling around in a bedroom upstairs... and I was so shy back then..." I laughed, feeling the warm haziness of the alcohol begin to take over me. "…like cripplingly shy, I'd never even thought about...y'know..."

I took another big gulp and sighed. "He told me I was too old to be that shy, I mean I know now that all he wanted was sex...obviously I was stupid enough to go along with it."

"Drink," Sasuke ordered, and I took another gulp.

"Sasuke I really don't want to talk about this..." I was sure he would have gotten the gist by now.

"You'll feel better," he replied, downing the rest of his drink and pouring another.

"We were…" I faltered, trying to summon the courage to tell the story to the end. "We were already...fucking..." I said, cringing at the way the words sounded. "…but I…he was hurting me and I didn't like it. I didn't want to...to do it anymore, but he wouldn't stop."

Sasuke was silent.

"I cried," I continued. "I cried and I left the party early. He dumped me a week later."

I took the bottle from Sasuke's hand and took a sip straight from it, then gave it back to him.

"Your turn," I said, sniffing and wiping the tears away from my cheeks. "You'll feel better," I half teased. He had been right though, I felt lighter.

And so Sasuke began to talk about a girl with pretty red hair who loved him even when he was all twisted out of shape from fights. She had loved him even when he came back to her late and missed dates and birthdays and left for days without a word. He told me of their fights, and their best moments and I could truly believe that he loved her. I heard all about the night she left him and how he'd never seen her since.

By the end of it, the bottle had been passed between us and then discarded as we drew closer together.

I felt hot and shaky, like I could hardly control my limbs, as Sasuke drew close. My heart was beating and I thought back to the last time I had seen him. We had kissed then, out of anger, and it was scary and alien. I had run from him, the dark and twisted man, who had now revealed that he was once just a man and nothing more.

Our lips met and I melted at his touch. His hands were on me in an instant, and though I was scared, I didn't want to stop. I wasn't sure what I felt for Sasuke, a kind of dark attraction that defied all reason. We tangled together, the blanket slipping to the floor and baring my legs as they wrapped around Sasuke's waist. I dragged my fingers over his skin, feeling it go from rough to smooth as I traced his scars.

Sasuke's arms wrapped around me and picked me up as if I weighed nothing and he stood, striding through the dark to his bed. My heart was racing and I felt the softness of the covers on my skin. Sasuke's body burned against mine. My breathing hitched as his hand slid under my shirt.

"Sasuke," I gasped my head was foggy and I couldn't think straight.

"It's ok," he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead. "We don't have to tonight."

I nodded, catching my breath. Sasuke laid down beside me, his hand draped over my stomach. I rolled over to face him reaching out to touch his face. We stayed that way until we fell asleep.

 **Sweetopia: An extra long chapter for you all! Hope you liked it, let me know what you think in the reviews!**

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

Love is a Mystery

9.

In the cold, sober light of day, our drunken endeavour from the previous night seemed completely and utterly wrong. That was the last time I ever let myself get that drunk ever again, I told myself as I struggled to drag myself out of bed that morning. Shakily, I got dressed. I tried to ignore Sasuke's quiet gaze as I pulled on my school uniform. I felt ridiculous, ashamed as I followed him down the apartment steps and out into the street.

There was very little in the way of talking as Sasuke and I made our way out of the city and to my school. I was self-conscious. My face burned and I avoided strangers' glances, feeling them staring at me, judging. My embarrassment, thankfully, had distracted me from my churning stomach and the bitter taste of bile that was creeping up my throat. I had made a huge mistake.

When Sasuke took me right to the gates of the school and I had the feeling he would be here when I got out too. As I approached the gate, which was closed and locked firmly shut because I was at least an hour late, I sighed and turned back around. I searched for a loose pole in the fence with my hands. Pulling it to the side, the gap was wide enough for me to squeeze through.

"Bye," I mumbled, my voice was rough from the alcohol and I winced at the sound of it.

Sasuke nodded and stepped back, waiting for me to go through. Throwing my bag through the gap and stepped through after it and replaced the pole. Now all I had to do was sneak into the school and hide out until break. Or, more preferably, for the rest of the day.

I found refuge in the library. Curled on a bean bag beneath a stairwell right in the very corner. I felt terrible. When the bell rang for break I groaned and buried myself deeper into the warm comfort of the bean bag, pushing back a wave of nausea.

"Woah, you look rough," Ino declared, as she approached. I merely glared at her and covered my ears. "Sorry, Sakura, but you gotta get up. You can't stay here all day."

I whined wordlessly as she pulled me to my feet and tried to smooth out the creases on my uniform. Ino put her hands on my shoulders, looked me straight in the eyes and said the words I had been hoping to here ever since I arrived..."Let's get you out of here."

Thankfully Ino has her own connections in the school, so getting us both sent home ill took merely a couple of flirty comments to the school nurse's assistant and we were out of there. We didn't even have to sneak out.

"I'll walk you home," Ino soothed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder reassuringly. I froze, I could not go home.

"NO!" I yelped. "Ino my mom will kill me if she sees me like this! She can't know I'm hungover."

"Hungover?!" Ino hissed back at me. "I thought you had the flu or something!"

I groaned, her voice felt as though it was cracking my skull. I rubbed my temples, feeling my head throb with each beat of my heart. We walked down the street and into the city, getting away from the school.

"I stayed at Sasuke's last night," I explained, as Ino barraged me with questions. She suddenly fell silent, giving me a sideways look, I knew what she was asking. "Nothing happened," I lied weakly.

"Oh, Sakura. What happened?" She gasped.

"Nothing!" I protested, but I knew it was futile. She would get the truth out of me eventually. "It's a long story. But the short of it is, we got drunk and he kissed me again…and I kissed him back."

Ino squealed in excitement, but soon settled when she noticed my expression. We walked in silence for a little while, as Ino considered what to say.

"It's ok to like him, you know," Ino said finally. She dragged me into a café. The change in temperature made me want to be sick, but I slid into a chair in the corner and propped myself up again the wall.

Ino left me alone, considering her words, while she went to get coffee. When she returned she watched me silently as I sipped on the plain black coffee she had brought. I winced as the hot drink scalded my tongue, but after the first few sips, I began to feel better. A waitress arrived with food a moment later, frowning at me as she slid a plate in front of me. Ignoring the waitress' judging looks I picked up my fork and started eating.

"Thanks, Ino," I smiled at my best friend across the table. She smiled back and reached across the table to pat my hand comfortingly.

"So, this kiss," Ino began, a hint of worry on her face. "Was it _just_ a kiss?"

My cheeks betrayed me before I could even reply, the blush that spread across them was a violent shade of pink. Ino raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"I'm pretty sure if I wasn't so drunk we would have…" I trailed off, feeling foolish. The fact that I felt so embarrassed even talking about it made me feel immature. "I really wanted to…but I think it would have been a mistake."

"What, why?"

"He's so much older than I am to start," I began.

"He's only four years older than you!" Ino scoffed. "It's not like he's forty, Sakura!"

"I know," I sighed. "But he's got issues, and he doesn't exactly have a _normal_ life."

"Well…that's true," Ino agreed, taking a bite of her pancakes. "You don't have to marry him though, Sakura. You could just…have some fun."

The conversation continued as we finished our breakfast and I was beginning to feel a little better. We shuffled back out into the cold street. Ino linked her arm around mine and we headed off down the street.

We only made it a few paces down the street before I spotted Sasuke, smoking on his doorstep. Flustered, I stumbled. Ino pulled me upright, her eyes locking onto Sasuke. We were close enough that he would have been able to see us if he looked our way.

"Do you want to turn around?" Ino asked quietly.

"I-"

"Sakura," Sasuke called before I could respond to Ino. He stood, putting his cigarette out on the wall beside him. I stalled, surprised that I hadn't known that he smoked. "Are you alright?"

"She's fine," Ino stated, holding onto me protectively.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and ignored her, waiting expectantly for me to answer.

"I feel a little hungover," I replied, with a meek smile. My heart was beating quickly and I swayed dizzily. "But I'll be ok."

"You're heading home?" there was a tone in Sasuke's voice that was disapproving and worried.

I shrugged, not wanting to say. I don't know why I felt so evasive.

"You can stay here," Sasuke suggested, taking my hesitation as a no. Ino rolled her eyes and shot me a smug look.

"What a good idea," Ino answered for me. I looked at her helplessly, why had she changed her mind so quickly. " _We_ will take you up on that, Sasuke. Thanks."

I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face as Ino pushed passed a surprised Sasuke and opened his front door. I admired her confidence. It was something she had always been, confident, whereas I was severely lacking.

I took the lead and Ino followed me up the narrow apartment stairs, Sasuke trailed behind. Glancing back down the stairs, Sasuke and I locked eyes. I searched his face for some clue as to what he felt about the night before but got nothing. I looked away and stepped into the vast expanse of Sasuke's loft.

If Ino was impressed, she didn't show it. My best friend stared disapprovingly at the sparse décor, exposed brickwork and the unmade bed. Ignoring Ino's judgement, I headed straight for the couch. I knew full well that if Ino hadn't been here I would have gone back to bed, but under her watchful gaze, I chose the more a casual option. After a moment Ino joined me.

Sasuke stood uncomfortably in the middle of the room. I felt a little guilty seeing him so displaced in his own home. There was a long moment of silence. I glared at Ino, she had put us in this awkward situation.

The ringing of the phone interrupted the awkward silence and Sasuke practically leapt to answer it. I stifled a giggle as he stumbled over the corner of the rug in his attempt to get to the phone as quickly as possible.

"Hello?" Sasuke answered, his voice earnest. There were a few moments of muffled noise from the speaker on the other end of the line. I strained my ears, but couldn't hear what was being said. "Yeah. That's fine. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Ino and I waited for Sasuke to hang up the phone.

"Who was that?" Ino asked nosily. I saw Sasuke's jaw twitch in annoyance. Clearly, he wasn't fond of Ino.

"Work," Sasuke said as politely as he could. "I have to go to the station to talk to a suspect. You can stay here until I come back. I'm taking the bike so I won't be long."

"Oh," I tried not to sound as relieved as I felt. "Ok, have a good time, I guess."

Ino elbowed me in the ribs shaking her head at me as I flushed with embarrassment.

Sasuke spent a few minutes collecting his stuff, pulling on his jacket and grabbing his motorcycle helmet before he ducked out of the door, giving a brief wave before he left. Once the front door had slammed behind him, Ino burst out laughing.

" _HAVE A GOOD TIME,"_ Ino mocked me, through her laughter.

I felt my face turn red and I crossed my arms huffing.

"Alright! I know I'm a mess!" I grumbled as she continued to poke fun at me.

"Oh Saku, you're so incredibly cute!" Ino teased, picking up the remote and turning on Sasuke's TV. In the whole time I had known Sasuke I had never seen him watch the tv, nor had I ever thought of putting it on.

We spent the next few hours watching mindless television, it had actually turned out to be a pretty good day.

When Sasuke returned home he was in a bad mood. I winced at the sound of the front door slamming open and hoped that he hadn't been drinking after work. Ino shot me a concerned look as Sasuke stormed into the apartment without greeting them. He stomped around, raking through boxes of casefiles as Ino and I tried to ignore him.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" I asked tentatively as he heaved a stack of boxes towards the bedroom. "We can get out of your way."

"Hn, no it's fine," he said in a way which clearly hinted that it was not, in fact, fine.

I shot Ino a knowing look and turned off the tv. Without a word, I stood up and took one of the boxes off of Sasuke. I brought it back to the table and opened it. Since Sasuke clearly wasn't in the mood to talk I sifted through, hoping to find something that would help.

Ino sat and watched for a moment, looking between me and Sasuke as he sighed and moved over to the coffee table. In silence, I picked through some files showing them in turn to Sasuke who shook his head.

"Ok, you guys seem busy...so I'm going to go home," Ino said breaking our intense silence.

"Oh no, Ino you can stay," I said, worried I had upset her. "She can stay, right Sasuke?"

Before Sasuke could answer, Ino shook her head at me, raising her eyebrow as she did. I knew exactly what that look meant and exactly _why_ she was leaving us alone. My cheeks tinged pink and I volunteered to show Ino out.

"Have fun," Ino winked as she opened the front door.

"Ino, stop, nothings going to happen," I replied shyly.

"Ha, sure. There was so much sexual tension in that room you could cut it with a knife," Ino rolled her eyes. "Use protection!" She called loudly as she left. My cheeks turned bright red, knowing that Sasuke would almost definitely have heard that. Embarrassed, I trudged back up the stairs.

Sasuke was sat with his back against the small partition of the wall between the bathroom and the kitchen, eyes skimming over papers. Choosing to ignore my best friend, I settled myself back on the couch and started organising clippings by related crime or criminals. I got so engrossed that the feeling of fingers gently brushing the hair out of my eyes startled me. I felt an involuntary heat come up to my cheeks as his touch roused me from my stupor. I didn't know what it was about him, but Sasuke was just so enchanting, enthralling - utterly frustrating - but so attractive to me.

"How are you feeling," he asked softly. I opened my eyes and looked up at him, betrayed by my flushed cheeks.

"I'm fine," I replied, feeling my body shake as he moved to sit next to me on the couch. I tried to focus on the newspaper clippings in front of me, but I was hyper-aware of Sasuke as he watched my every move. His slightest movement made me flinch as though I was expecting him to pounce at any second.

"Sakura, put those down for a minute," Sasuke demanded. "I have something to ask you."

"What?" I sighed, carefully placing the clippings on the coffee table and turning to face him. No sooner had I turned than Sasuke's lips were on mine. I gasped, shocked by the immediacy.

"What the hell Sasuke!?" I shrieked, pushing him away. I jumped up, not liking the vulnerable position I was in on the couch.

"What?" he asked surprised by my reaction.

"A little warning might have been nice," I snapped, taking a few paces back.

"Ok," Sasuke replied rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You have precisely five seconds before I do that again."

Sasuke stood up, his face deadly serious. My legs trembled and I tried to figure out if he was joking or not. One thing I struggled with was his weird sense of humour.

"Stop messing around, Sasuke," I warned, but I could tell that Sasuke was not in the mood to mess around. Whatever had happened at the police station had put him in a dark mood. Sasuke approached me much slower than the promised five seconds, giving me ample opportunity to run, which I only took advantage of at the last second. I stepped to the side in an attempt to avoid him, but he easily caught my arm pulling me back to him. I shuddered under his grip. "Sasuke this really isn't a good idea."

"Do I look like I care?" Sasuke whispered into my ear. The feeling of his breath on my neck made me weak. I turned my head, pressing my lips to his. There was a moment of gentleness before I felt his grip on my tighten and he kissed back forcefully. Feeling suddenly confident I pushed him backwards, moving us towards the couch. Sasuke complied happily, his fingers already working on unbuttoning the back of my dress.

We tumbled to the couch, barely breaking apart for more than a second. Sasuke pulled me on top of him. I could feel the urgency in his touch and the feeling of his erection pressed against my thigh told me exactly where this was going. It wasn't long before I felt my dress loosen, the fabric slipping from my shoulders and slipping down to my elbows. Sasuke's hand grazed over my bare back for a moment before he sat up, breaking away from me.

I was about to protest when he pulled off his shirt. My heart leapt in my chest. It was my turn now. I glanced shyly at him as he watched me pull my arms from my dress sleeves letting the fabric fall to the floor. Not wanting to be interrupted again, I pulled down my tights and tried to forget how ungraceful I looked. Sasuke stopped me before I removed any more, my petticoat, panties and bra were the only things left. He beckoned me to him and I complied, sitting on the couch and gazing at him from under my eyelashes. I was beginning to lose my confidence, starting to become self-conscious.

Sasuke shifted, pushing me back so that I was laying flat on my back. I took a deep breath as he started to kiss my neck. I closed my eyes, running my hands through his hair, wanting to moan at the tingling sensation of his lips on my skin, but feeling too nervous to make a sound. He bit down gently on my skin and I gasped. I pulled his face back to me and kissed him fiercely. I was breathing heavily now and Sasuke was reaching under my petticoat. I let out the faintest moan of pleasure as his hand brushed along my inner thigh. I held my breath, waiting for him to touch me more.

The sound of the front door being kicked off of its hinges prevented us from going any further. We both jumped, scrambling to our feet in alarm. Sasuke ran to the door, picking up his katana from the umbrella stand as he did so.

"Sasuke! What's going on?" I asked trying to make sense of the situation. Before Sasuke could answer me, he was stumbling backwards as a fist collided with his face. "Sasuke!" I yelled, my voice was shrill and harsh, as a man with long, dirty blonde hair swung another punch. This time Sasuke deftly sidestepped and the fist went through the drywall.

"Deidara," Sasuke spat blood as he spoke.

The blond haired man smirked menacingly, looking between Sasuke and me with visible excitement.

"Well, looks like I've interrupted something," Deidara replied. His smile was not friendly, I couldn't help the visible shudder that came over me as I felt his eyes skim over me. This seemed to be enough for Sasuke who was already unsheathing his katana. "Surprised to see me?" Deidara was clearly addressing Sasuke, but his gaze never wavered from me. I desperately wanted to reach for something to cover myself with, but I didn't want to provoke this strange man.

"Itachi got you out," Sasuke said angrily. "I knew he would, that bastard. You deserve to rot in prison for what you did to those girls Deidara."

My skin erupted in goosebumps at the mention of Sasuke's older brother. Slowly, I reached down trying to reach for my dress while keeping my eyes firmly fixed on the intruder.

Deidara laughed and stepped further into the room.

"I'd stay still if I were you," he smirked as I froze in place, not even daring to grab my dress before standing up again. "Good girl, she's well trained isn't she Sasuke."

Sasuke's face was the picture of rage, but he didn't move. He didn't even move as Deidara approached me.

I stiffened as Deidara reached out his hand towards me, I felt repulsed as he wrapped his left hand around my neck, squeezing a little. His smirk widened as I remained motionless. Furious, I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out. I glanced over to Sasuke who was watching the scene with dismay. Finally, I managed to make my legs move, only a fraction at first and then I was stumbling backwards, just in time to dodge a swing from Sasuke's sword. That's when all hell broke loose.

"Okay! Okay," I shrieked, trying to get out of the way as Sasuke took a second swing at the man. Blood spattered the floor and Deidara stumbled back a few paces. Sasuke's sword had caught in, just barely, across the cheek.

Letting out a bellowing laugh, Deidara pulled something from his pocket and threw it to the floor. There was a crack and the room began to rapidly fill with smoke. I stumbled, trying to make out the figure in the smoky room. I heard Sasuke cry out in pain and all of a sudden I felt a hand grab hold of my hair, pulling it tightly. I let out a scream in my panic and struggled against Deidara's grip. I recognized this feeling. This was the man who had abducted me from Sasuke's doorstep and taken me to Itachi.

"Sasuke!" I shouted, the smoke was starting to clear now and I could see Sasuke stood in front of me his nose bloody and the right side of his head was matted with blood. "Why are you doing this?" I shouted at the man holding me, I couldn't see his face but I knew he was smirking. The thought of it infuriated me, I felt a white-hot rage come over me. With a furious yell, I swung my elbow back connecting satisfyingly with Deidara's ribs. It must not have hurt very much, but the shock of it made him let go of my hair just long enough for me to get away from him. I ducked behind Sasuke and watched as Deidara lashed out angrily.

Sasuke darted backwards to avoid a punch and caught my shoulder with the hilt of his katana. I had been too slow to move out of the way, I cursed inwardly. Apparently, this was all the distraction it took for Sasuke to be caught off guard. His face was lividly pale as he looked at me in shock. Then the hit came, crushing into Sasuke's ribs with the sound of wet gravel.

I can't fully describe the scream that came out of my mouth as Sasuke was thrown backwards. Even worse was the scream when I noticed the bloody wound in my shoulder. The hilt of Sasuke's katana hadn't hit me in the shoulder as I had first thought. It had, in fact, ran me all the way through. The shock had set in instantly, even now I could only just barely feel it a dull throb as if I had a small bruise. My mind rushed to asses the situation; a katana was plunged up to the hilt in my shoulder, I was losing blood pretty quickly.

"Fuck," I swore, feeling lightheaded at the sight of it.

Deidara grinned at me as I swayed dizzily. I took a trembling step forward, reaching out for Sasuke who was lying unconscious on the floor.

"Leave him," Deidara smirked. "Save your strength princess. You'll need it."

I felt sick as he approached me, a predatory grin on his lips. My knees were about to buckle, in minutes I would be unconscious and completely at Deidara's mercy.

A gunshot sounded and Deidara crumpled to the floor. In the end, I was shocked by the simplicity of a gunshot wound to the back of the head, a fairly neat hole and a bit of blood and the man was dead.

Naruto stopped at the top of the stairs and lowered his gun, staring at me in shock. I opened my mouth as I began to topple forwards. If I fell now I would only cause more damage. I forced myself to stay upright. I glanced at Sasuke. He was getting up though I could see the pain on his face.

The apartment was filling with police now and everyone was looking at me. That was when everything came back. Sound, pain, fear...all of it came rushing back to me at once. I opened my mouth and screamed. Sasuke grabbed me. Naruto rushed over. In the background, I could hear people phoning for an ambulance.

"Get my Dad," I begged the two men in front of me. "I need him, please...please don't let me die."

Someone bolted for the door and ran down to the hospital under Naruto's orders.

"You're going to be okay," Naruto practically yelled at me. "Tell her Sasuke, tell her!"

Sasuke looked at me with a desperate look. In my heart, I knew the outlook wasn't good, but that look was the nail in my swiftly approaching coffin. I couldn't believe it, Sasuke had killed me. I was going to die and Sasuke was the one who did it. I knew that was what was going through Sasuke's mind too. It would be in the papers, everyone would know and everything from his past would be brought back to the surface again.

I was starting to feel a little bit colder now, edges of my vision were blurring and becoming dark. I shivered, practically convulsing. I could taste the coppery tang of blood in my mouth.

"I'm going to be fine," I said distantly to Naruto. "I'll be okay...just don't let me..."

I could feel a pulling, and pain.

"Sasuke you're going to kill her!" I heard the familiar voice call out, but I couldn't tell you who it belonged to. Sasuke was already pulling the katana out. I screamed and gripped Naruto's arm tight enough to crush bone. Sasuke was tearing his shirt and pressing it against the wound as the last of the blade slid out of my shoulder. With bloody hands, Sasuke pulled my chin up and forced me to look him in the eyes. I focused hazily on him, but I knew I was losing consciousness.

"Don't you dare," he growled. "Don't you dare die."

I nodded.

"You have to fight it!" he demanded, pressing firmly on both sides of the wound.

I nodded again, but I was losing my grip on reality feeling the warm comfort of death welcoming me.

"No, no! Sakura focus. Focus!" Sasuke snapped, his hand shaking me awake. I blinked hard and coughed out a deep breath.

"Don't tell me what to do, jerk," I gasped. For a split second, I almost thought I saw a smile.

"Sakura!" I heard my dad shout before I looked away from Sasuke and felt my eyes close.

* * *

 **Sweetopia: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It took me ages to write and I was worried about cramming too much content into one chapter, but you guys seem to enjoy the longer chapters!**

 **PLEASE REVIEW - your opinions are important to me!**

 **xoxo**


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